Last



June 1925- 1,540,371

C. M. SEARL v LAST ori inal FiledApril 21. 24

I y I '6 i (,W/ ,9

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE...

CLINTON M. SEARL, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE VULGAN LAST COM- PANY, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LAST.

Original application filed April 21, 1924, Serial No. 707,796. Divided and this application filed November 24, 1924. Serial No. 751,762.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON M. SnAnL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification, reference bcing had therein to "the accompanying drawing. 7

My invention relatesrto an improvement in lasts, and is particularly directed to lasts of the divided typethat is to say, to that type of last which is divided into two parts, a toe part and a heel part, movable relatively to each other to collapsed and extended positions. The presentapplication is a division of my application .filed April 21, 1924, Serial No. 707,796.

It is desirable in lasts of this type that the last be capable ofbeing easily col lapsed so that it be removedftrom a shoe without injury to the lining of the shoe and without stretching the shoe out of place.

In lasting a shoe the last is held upside down-that is, with the sole side uppermostand inasmuch as a great deal of pressure is put on the toe of the last during the lasting operation, this tends to collapse the last, and consequently one of the objects of my invention is the provision of a construction in which the last is capable of withstanding the stresses to which it is subjected (hiring the lasting operation withoutcollapsing, but may be readily collapsed by the operator when desired. i

In one form of last now in extensive use, the fore part and heel part are attached to each other by a link attached to the fore part and heel part by 'pins so located relatively that a line drawn through their centers will fall above the axis on which the last parts move when the last is collasped and below this point or axis when the last is extended.

In such a construction, the greater the distance the pins are below the axis of the last when the last is eXtended,-or the greater the distance they are above the axis of the last when the last is collasped, the more resistance the last will offer to collapse or extension, but this distance is limited inasmuch as the pins must be. located in the last body itself, and in the case of Wooden lasts the pins must be kept at an appreciable distance from the bottom-or sole face owing to the danger of splitting the last when the same is in use or when being moved from extended position to collasped position or vice'versa.

In the present construction I have provided an arrangement for attaching the two last parts to each other whereby an eli'ect is obtained which is as efficient as the lowering of the pins in the above-outlined construction to the danger point, the resistance to collapse or extension ofitered by my last being very materially increased, Without, however, necessitating placing of any pins at a point Where they are likely to cause the last to split.

It is one of the especial objects of my invention to provide a last in which the last parts are held together under tension and not simply held in expanded or'collapsed position under tension.

It is a further object of my invention to hold the last parts together by means employing a lever, with the parts constantly under tension.

Itis a still further object of my invention to hold the parts of the last together under tension with the parts so arranged that the tension will assume its maximum when the parts are either in their fully expanded or fully collapsed position. i

It is an additional object of my invention to provide the holding together of the parts under tension and to associate therewith a lever, the parts being so arranged that the tension will achieve its maximum at the completely expanded or collapsed position of the last parts. It will be realized that the tension may be created by a variety of means which may be very compressible or expandable, and that the details of creating this condition are not essential.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such mechanism to hold the parts of the last together under tension that it will not be necessary to have resilient links or resilient anchor pins. Such means are eliminated and the same results are obtained.

It is a further object of my invention to provide the holding of such parts together under tension and the increasing of this tension at extreme positions together with means to lock the parts in extended position by such-tensionmeans to resist the pressure, tendmgto collapse the last lmposed on the bottom of the toe member in constructing the shoe thereon until such tension means is overcome byfthe operator breaking the last.

In the accompanying drawing I havetomary by an arcuate cut, as indicated, at 3,

and moving about a center pin 4. Secured on the pin at is atr-iangular shaped plate 5, one extremity of the base of which is secured to the heel part by a pin 6. The forward extremity of the base of this plate is pivotally connected by a pin 7 to a link 8 extending into the toe part 2 of the last. The forward end of this link is pivoted by a pin 9 to a short link 10 which is in turn pivoted intermediate its: length by a pin 11 to the toe part-of the last. This same pin pivotally attaches the link to the forward extremity of the base-of a triangular plate 12. The other extremity of the base of-this plate is pivoted on the bearing pin-4c. To the apex ,of the plate 12 Ipivotally attach a lever 13.

Th'islever is provided on its under side with a cam surface 14 while the upper side is in engagement with a spring 15 held under compression between it and a pin 16 in the toe part of the last. 7

With the parts in the position shown in full lines in the drawing,that is to say, with the last in extended position, the pres? sure of the spring 15 upon the lever 13 is tendingto swing the short link or lever 10 about the pivot pin 11, this movement draw; ing the link 8 to the right, thereby tending to shorten the distance between the pins 6 and 11 to hold the last parts in extendedposit-ion under tension, the cam face on the lever 13 holding the parts locked in position.

" When the. last-is collapsed the end of the link 10 moves past the raised portion on the cam face 14: and the action of the spring 15 is now in a direction to again shorten the distance between thepins 6 and 11, with the 'resultthatthe last parts are heldin' collapsed position under tension. 7 a a I It will be apparent that I have provided a last structure wherein the last parts are held in extended position and in collapsed posit-ion under tension, thereby prowiding a structure which will successfully withstand accidental collapse or extension of the last parts when the same are in use inthe manufacture of'shoes; It will be-seenalso that in my invention I provide a structure I in which the force exerted onthe last parts to hold the last in extended and in collapsed positionis of some magnitude, my improved construction being such, however, that this increase in force is provided without weakening the last. In other words, more power is available for holding the last parts in adjusted position due to my improved structure than is possible in lasts as now manufactured.

a It will'be seen also that I have provided a last structure wherein the last parts are held in extended position and in collapsed position under greatest tension. In other words, the tension under which the last parts are held to each other when the last is extended or when the last is collapsed, as the case may be, is greater than the tension under which the last parts are held when in an intermediate position.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a last 01f the divided type, the combination of a heel part and a toe part, a bearing pin for said last parts,-a plate mounted on said bearing pin within the heel part of the last andhavin g a portionthereof attached to said heel part, a link pivoted in the toe part. of the last, a second link extending fromsaid plate to one end of the first link, .a member for connecting the first link to said bearing pin, and means'for applying power to the first link adjacent the end .thereofremote from the point of attachment of the firstlink to the second link to thereby maintain the ,last parts in extended position and collapsed position under tension.

2. In a last of thedivided type, the combination of a heel part and atoe part, a bearing pin for said last'parts, a triangular plate having its apex mounted on said bearing pin,I the rear extremity of the base of said plate beingsecured tosaid heel part, a lever pivotally attached intermediate its ends to the toe part ofthelast, a link extending from the forward extremity of the base of said plate to-one end of said lever, a second triangular plate, the rear extremity of the base of which is mounted onsaid bearing pin, the forward extremity of the base of which is pivotally attached to said lever, a second lever pivoted to the apex of. said lastlnentione-d plate, and a spring for forcing said last-mentioned lever into engagement with the end of the first-mentioned lever to maintain t-helast parts in extended position and in collapsed positionunder. tension.

In testimony whereoflaflix my signature.

' CLINTON M. SEARL. 

